Success of haylage export to China will rely on if Nepalis get a fair price for their produce
For the first time, Nepal has been able to export 82 tonnes of haylage, or animal feed, to Tibet's Shigatse from Chitwan's Bharatpur Metropolitan City area. In its first consignment, 10 containers of haylage, produced by Nepal Horizon International Pvt Ltd, a Chinese firm, were sent to Shigatse through the Rasuwagadi Customs point. The company has stated that 20 containers of the animal feed will be exported to Tibet everyday. It has set a target of exporting 60,000 tonnes of haylage to the city of Shigatse per year. The company had purchased maize plants from the local farmers in and around Bharatpur Metropolitan City to make animal feed. The company has provided improved varieties of seed, irrigation system and technical support to the farmers for the production of maize plants. Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha, Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Beduram Bhusal, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song and other high-ranking Nepali officials were present to flag off the first consignment of cargo trucks loaded with haylage. Nepali trucks will carry the animal feed up to the Chinese border of Keyring, from where Chinese trucks will be transporting it to Shigatse. The company said around one million tonnes of haylage are consumed in Tibet per year. It costs around Rs 24,000 to produce a ton of haylage in Tibet. So, it will be cheaper to produce haylage in Nepal.
The company has start-ed leasing land for Rs 6,000 per katha from the local farmers for the production of maize and other plants, such as Napier grass. The actual price of the animal feed will be determined through negotiation with the farmers in close coordinationwith the local level, as per the company, which started producing haylage three years ago. The farmers have been advised to plant the fodder plant only after harvesting paddy, when swathes of farmland usually remain uncultivated. The export of haylage to China became possible after then Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi reached an agreement with the Nepal government to this effect during his visit to Nepal on March 26, 2022.
Export of haylage to Tibet, where its demand is very high, should encourage the Nepali farmers to actively engage in its production on a commercial scale. As per the government data, around one million hectares of land have remained fallow in the country due to the migration of youths in droves overseas for employment.
If the farmers can get a fair price for their produce, they will plant maize and fodder grass, which can also be consumed domestically. Export of haylage will not only help reduce the trade deficit with China to some extent, but also create job opportunities in the rural areas. Domestic dairy farms will also be encouraged to make huge investments in livestock rearing should they get a smooth supply of haylage round the year. What the government should do is to provide the farmers the necessary knowhow, technology and financial support for growing maize and fodder plants. Success of haylage export to China will largely rely on whether or not the Nepali farmers will get a fair price for their produce, and whether Nepali investors will also be allowed to export the goods there. In order to make this business sustainable, both Nepal and China should work in-tandem to upgrade the highway leading to Rasuwagadhi.
Burden of NCDs
The burden of non-communicable diseases (NCD) has been increasing in Nepal over the years, and it calls for immediate action to prevent and control them. According to the Nepal Burden of Disease Study 2019, NCDs now account for almost 71 per cent of all deaths in Nepal, while 21 per cent is attributed to communicable, maternal neonatal and nutritional (CMNN) diseases, and 8 per cent to injuries of different types. Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes are the leading cause of deaths in Nepal now. Other deaths are related to road accidents, other accidents, pregnancy, crime, suicides, and natural disasters.
NCDs need treatment over long periods of time, requiring multiple visits to doctors and health facilities.
Treatment of cancers or kidney or heart trouble, among others, is so expensive that the bulk of the population cannot afford them. Given the limited resources the government has at its disposal, it is necessary to make the best use of them so that the maximum number of people benefit. Discouraging tobacco consumption through higher taxes and creating awareness could be one step towards lessening the burden of cancers and cardiovascular diseases.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 17, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.